[NatureNS] Short-eared Owl and Pictou Co. observations

From: Ken McKenna <kenmcken@eastlink.ca>
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:49:54 -0300
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Ken McKenna
Box 218 Stellarton NS
B0K 1S0
902 752-7644

Hi all
For the first time all winter and spring, I did not have my American Tree Sparrows at my feeders in Plymouth this morning( April 23).  Instead a couple of Tree Swallows have returned to my neighbours bird houses (so far ignoring mine). I assume the Tree Sparrows have finally decided to move north. There were 4 earlier in the week and at least a dozen all winter. I will miss their early morning songs that I have been hearing for the last month or so. 
On April 21, Rick and Linda Ferguson observed a Short-eared Owl over the reclaimed land of the Drummond open pit coal mine in Westville. This is a large grassland and here is hoping the owl might find a partner and set-up a home here. 
On Thurs. night, Rick and I walked through a fraction of the site near dusk. We encountered 3 types of "shorebird". There were at least 3 Killdeer sites with at least 2 sets behaving like they might be nesting. There were 2-3 Wilson's Snipe in aerial preformances and 6-8 American Woodcock preenting and in aerial displays. We observed one return to the same spot several times from a few meters away. There were a few Hermit Thrush calling and Canada Geese, Wood Duck, and  Black Ducks but no sign of the SE Owl. 
There were large areas of Coltsfoot in bloom and Dandelion is now beginiing to bloom in many locations around the Pictou Co. towns. 
About 10 p.m. I did a quick check for Saw-whets in Mountville, but no luck. There was however a pair of dueting Barred Owls, a Woodcock and an well-after-dusk singing White-throated Sparrow. 
cheers
Ken

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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Ken McKenna<BR>Box 218 Stellarton NS<BR>B0K 
1S0<BR>902 752-7644</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><BR>Hi all</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>For the first time all winter and spring, I did not 
have my American&nbsp;Tree Sparrows at my feeders in Plymouth this morning( 
April 23).&nbsp; Instead a couple of Tree Swallows have returned to my 
neighbours bird houses (so far ignoring mine). I assume the Tree Sparrows have 
finally decided to move north. There were 4 earlier in the week and at least a 
dozen all winter. I will miss their early morning songs that I have been hearing 
for the last month or so. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>On April 21, Rick and Linda Ferguson observed a 
Short-eared Owl over the reclaimed land of the Drummond open pit coal&nbsp;mine 
in Westville. This is a large grassland and here is hoping the owl&nbsp;might 
find a partner and set-up a home here. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>On Thurs. night, Rick and I walked through a 
fraction of the site near dusk. We encountered 3 types of "shorebird". There 
were at least 3 Killdeer sites with at least 2 sets behaving like they might be 
nesting. There were 2-3 Wilson's Snipe in aerial preformances and 6-8 American 
Woodcock preenting and in aerial displays. We observed one return to the same 
spot several times from a few meters away. There were a few Hermit Thrush 
calling and Canada Geese, Wood Duck, and &nbsp;Black Ducks but no sign of the SE 
Owl. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>There were large areas of Coltsfoot in bloom and 
Dandelion is now beginiing to bloom in many locations around the Pictou Co. 
towns. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>About 10 p.m. I&nbsp;did a quick check for 
Saw-whets in Mountville, but no luck. There was however a pair of dueting Barred 
Owls, a Woodcock and an well-after-dusk singing White-throated Sparrow. 
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>cheers</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Ken</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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